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Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
You will revive me;
You will stretch out Your hand
Against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will save me.

(Psalm 138:7)

Whenever you find yourself in the midst of trouble, or in a tight place, as the Hebrew literally means, do not panic. God will revive you. He will repair and restore whatever has been taken from you and you will be all right. His revival will cancel out the trouble. This does not necessarily mean that you won’t go through the trouble, but it does mean that you will come out okay on the other side. God will stretch out His hand against your adversaries and save you. It will be His judgment on your enemies, but His favor on you.

The LORD will perfect that which concerns me;
Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands.

(Psalm 138:8)

God has had a plan for you from the beginning, even before you were born. It is a plan to work good things in you, for you and through you. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

He will perfect that plan, which means that He will bring it through to completion, to fulfillment, to maturity, to fruition. “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).

Out of His great desire to show His lovingkindness and tender mercy, God has conceived a wonderful plan for you. Trust Him and believe His love — it endures forever. He will never turn you away but will see you all the way through to a prosperous, joyful life, now and forever. He will revive you in the midst of trouble.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
Who delights greatly in His commandments.
His descendants will be mighty on earth;
The generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches will be in his house,
And his righteousness will endure forever.

(Psalm 112:1-3)

Righteousness endures. But what is righteousness? People often think of it in religious terms, as pious behaviors, devout observances of special holy days, carefully segregated from normal, everyday life. But it is really very simple: Righteousness is about being in proper relationship with God and doing what is right. It is rightness.

Rightness endures. Whenever we do what is right, it is never wasted, and it makes a lasting change in the world. Perhaps you have seen the TV ads for Liberty Mutual, where one person performs an act of kindness (let’s not call it random, but deliberate) for a stranger, who then shows kindness to another. That simple deed is witnessed by a third who becomes more mindful to do the same. A chain of “doing the right thing” follows until it eventually comes back around to the first person. (Here is ad 1, “Half Acre,” and ad 2, “The Part Where You Let Go.”)

It is kind of like chaos theory in science, which speaks of the unpredictability of certain changes and events, such as weather patterns and other systems, because of “sensitive dependence upon initial conditions.” The classic paradigm, also known as the Butterfly Effect, is that the beating of a butterfly’s wings in Beijing affects the weather over New York City. In other words, small changes can make big differences. In the same way, seemingly small acts of doing what is right can change the world.

The man in this psalm is one who lives in awe of God and has a burning passion for pleasing Him by doing what is right. It changes him, but not him only. His children are influenced by it and they become mighty on earth. No only are his descendants blessed, they become a blessing to others. Good things follow, for he sows a seed of rightness and reaps a harvest of prosperity. In that prosperity is seed for doing more good.

Paul reminds us, “God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8). And so it is with this man. He is a good man who deals graciously and lends; he guides his affairs with a proper judgment and divine wisdom (Psalm 112:5).

He has dispersed abroad,
He has given to the poor;
His rightness endures forever;
His horn will be exalted with honor.

(Psalm 112:9)

The good that comes from living in awe of God and doing what is right never ends. Rightness endures forever.

Friday, April 25, 2008

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:5-8)

We are not naturally at ease with the concept of humility. The flesh rebels against it. It is not the way we have been taught in the world.

The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called “benefactors.” But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves. (Luke 22:25-27)

The world likes to make a show of having power and authority, of being “in charge.” But that is not God's way. His way is to give and serve. Jesus did not come to be served to, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). He through whom all things were created literally bowed down to wash the feet of the disciples. That was not an aberration from the divine nature, but a magnificent expression of it, for God is love, and love “does not seek its own” (1 Corinthians 13:5), that is, it is not self-aggrandizing and does not strive for power. By washing the feet of the disciples, Jesus modeled humility before them, not as a way to eventually rise to a place of authority and power so that they would no longer need to be humble, but precisely as the expression of power and authority.

The concept of humility offends the natural mind, which is always striving for supremacy. But God, who is absolutely supreme, loses nothing by humbling Himself, for as Jesus said, the one who is greater is the one who bows to serve. The God of the universe humbles Himself, not against His nature, but because humility perfectly expresses His divine nature. That is the heart of God, but it offends the mind of man because if the Lord of All is the humble servant of all, then that is what we are forever called to be as well.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. (Matthew 25:13)

When the gospel of the kingdom has been preached in all the world, the end of the age will come and Jesus, the Son of Man, will appear in all His glory. This calls for preparedness, so Jesus gives us the parable of the Ten Virgins:

Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight a cry was heard: “Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!” Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.” But the wise answered, saying, “No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.” And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, “Lord, Lord, open to us!” But he answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.” (Matthew 25:1-12)

Then Jesus draws the conclusion: “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming” (v. 13). The Greek word for “watch” literally means to keep awake. In this context, it means to be vigilant or stay ready. It is a call to preparedness, for the return of Jesus Christ is certain, though we do not know exactly when that will be.

The Son of Man will surely return someday. Will you be ready to meet Him? The kingdom of Heaven on earth belongs to those who are prepared.

Monday, April 21, 2008

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:14)

In Matthew 23, Jesus denounced the scribes and Pharisees because of their great hypocrisy. He pronounced a series of woes upon them, ending with the judgment that would soon befall Jerusalem because of her corrupt leadership. In Matthew 24:1-2, Jesus speaks also of the coming destruction of the Temple. For the Jewish mind, the Temple would stand as long as the world endured; its destruction would signal the end of the age. Recognizing the import of Jesus’ warning, the disciples asked, “When will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” (v. 3).

The balance of chapter 24 is Jesus’ answer. As with many prophecies in the Bible, there seems to be a double fulfillment in view, one sooner, one later, with an indiscernible length of time in between. Exactly where one ends and the other begins has been the subject of much controversy among Bible interpreters.

Most are generally agreed that the first fulfillment occurred with the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. God poured out His judgment on the Temple system and the faithless Jewish leadership that rejected Messiah and the sacrifice He made. This destruction made the Temple sacrifices no longer possible, but it also underscored the truth that the Cross had already rendered them unnecessary. The second, and final, fulfillment has yet to occur.

“This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” This likewise appears to have a double fulfillment. The “end” He speaks of is the “end of the age,” for that is what the disciples were asking. Which age was He talking about? The age of the old covenant, including the Law of Moses, the Temple and the sacrifices. It was about to end; its purpose had been fulfilled.

God created Israel and covenanted with her to be a “kingdom of priests” (Exodus 19:6) whose purpose was to represent Him before the nations and the nations before Him, bringing forth the Word of God and revealing Messiah to the world. Though this system had become corrupted by unbelief, and the ruling Jewish authorities failed to recognize the Messiah, God’s purpose was fulfilled nonetheless and the gospel of His kingdom was “preached in all the world as a witness to the nations.” Paul, especially called by God to be an evangelist to the Gentiles (the nations), demonstrates the reach of the gospel:

I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. (Romans 1:8)

But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed: “Their sound has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.” (Romans 10:18)

Because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit. (Colossians 1:5-6)

Within a few years, Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed, and the age of the old covenant was complete.

But there is yet another fulfillment of this prophecy, for there is yet another age that must pass away. It is the present world system of which satan is the god (2 Corinthians 4:4). It has its own wisdom that is opposed to the wisdom of God, but God shows it to be foolishness (1 Corinthians 3:19). The Lord Jesus Christ “gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age” (Galatians 1:4). This age is being overtaken by the age of God’s kingdom, which has been forcefully advancing ever since Jesus came. As John said, “The darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining” (1 John 2:8).

The gospel of the kingdom will continue to preached as a witness to all the nations, for Paul said, “Blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles [nations] has come in. And so all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:25-26). The nations shall be redeemed and Israel shall even embrace her Messiah. Thus comes the end of this present evil age, for the kingdom of Heaven on Earth will then be here in all its fullness.

And they sang a new song, saying: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth. (Revelation 5:9-10)

Friday, April 18, 2008

“Try Me now in this,” says the LORD of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.” (Malachi 3:10)

“Windows of heaven” presents us with interesting imagery. The Hebrew word for “window,” arubah, speaks of openings such as lattices or sluices. “Heaven” speaks of that which is high and lofty. It can refer to the sky and the reaches of space, as well as the spiritual abode of God. We find this unusual phrase only a few times in Scripture.

In Genesis 7:11, the fountains of the deep were broken up and the windows of heaven were opened up to inundate the earth with rain and floodwaters during the Great Deluge.

In 2 Kings 7, Samaria was besieged and in dire famine, Elijah, the prophet of God, said that within twenty-four hours there would be a great abundance of food. An officer of the king doubted him, saying, “Look, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” (v. 2). Elijah answered, “In fact, you shall see it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it.” And so it happened.

In Malachi 3:10, the word of the LORD calls for the people to “bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house.” He challenges them to test Him and see “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.”

“Windows of heaven” speaks of a flood, in the case of Malachi 3:10, a deluge of blessing. Notice that it is “poured out.” The Hebrew word means to make empty or empty out. This is no small thing. God promises to empty out all of heaven onto those who trust, test and obey Him in the area of tithing.

Now, tithing is no longer a requirement for Christians, who are not under the Law of Moses but under the Covenant of Grace in Jesus Christ. But God still does honor giving and pours out all the provision of heaven in a great flood on those who honor Him with their gifts. Writing to the believers at Corinth on the subject of giving of one’s resources, Paul teaches them, “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully … And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:6, 8).

Notice the fullness of this abundance: ALL grace, ALWAYS having ALL sufficiency in ALL things, plus ABUNDANCE for EVERY good work. It is a flood of blessing, enough to bless not only us, but those around us.

God pours out all of heaven on our behalf, and we become receivers when we learn to become givers. It is a deluge of blessing.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. (Matthew 4:23)

Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. (Matthew 9:35)

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:14)

There is only one gospel, and that is the gospel of Jesus Christ. He is the king whose coming was long ago foretold. His kingdom embodies everything He came to do:

The will of the Father (John 5:30; John 6:38).

To seek and save that which was lost (Luke 19:10).

To destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8).

That we might have life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10).

That we might have every spiritual blessing heaven has to offer (Ephesians 1:3).

Before Jesus ascended to heaven, He commissioned His disciples:

Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature … and these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons … they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through accompanying signs. (Mark 16:15, 17-18, 20)

However, healing the sick and casting out demons did not merely accompany the proclamation of the gospel of the kingdom; they were manifestations of the kingdom of God on earth. Jesus said, “If I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Luke 11:20).

The gospel of the kingdom is the gospel of Jesus Christ, the truth that saves us, heals, sets us free, and releases the blessing of God to us in every way. It is the gospel of the kingdom of heaven now manifesting on earth and being preached around the world.

Monday, April 7, 2008

God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:8)

That's a good definition of prosperity: Always having all sufficiency in all things PLUS abundance (that is, more than enough) for every good work.

I like how Oral Roberts put it:

Prosperity is the possession of everything you need for yourself and loved ones with enough surplus to give to those who need help. If you have only the bare necessities, you are not prosperous. And if you have all the sufficiencies of life but no more, that is not prosperity. But, if you have everything you need with something left over for the poor, that is prosperity.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

The love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)

We should do only those righteous actions which we cannot stop ourselves for doing, which we are unable not to do, but, through well directed attention, we should always keep on increasing the number of those which we are unable not to do.—Simone Weil

Every thought, word and deed should flow out of love for and relationship with God. Do nothing except what His love compels you to do.

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